On Natalia Estemirova's birthday, AI demands to release Oyub Titiev

Today, activists from the "Amnesty International" (AI) have handed over to the Russian Embassy in Madrid a demand to release Oyub Titiev, the head of the Chechen branch of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", and to conduct a fair investigation into the murder of rights defender Natalia Estemirova.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 15, 2009, Natalia Estemirova, an employee of the HRC "Memorial" office in Chechnya, was kidnapped in Grozny, taken to Ingushetia and killed. And on January 11, 2018, Oyub Titiev, the head of the Chechen branch of the HRC "Memorial", was arrested on the charge of marijuana possession. Oyub Titiev pleaded not guilty and stated that the drugs had been planted to him.

Today, in honour of the 60th anniversary of the Natalia Estemirova's birthday, the AI activists have handed over to the Russian Embassy in Madrid a cake with an inscription calling for a fair investigation into the murder of the rights defender. In addition to the cake, the AI activists have also handed over to the Russian Embassy a letter with a demand to release Oyub Titiev, states Yolanda Vega, an AI's representative in Spain, whose report has been received today by the "Caucasian Knot".

According to the General Prosecutor's Office of Russia, the case of Natalia Estemirova's murder was solved and Alkhazur Bashaev, who was declared internationally wanted, was involved in the murder. However, colleagues of the journalist believe that the investigation went the wrong way.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.